,,,,Kogi residents urge FG,lament hard time.
By Dada Ahmed in Lokoja.
Gripped by the consequences of the planned indefinite Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC strike, starting on October 3, residents of Lokoja, kogi state, north central Nigeria, have urged the federal government to do the needful to avert it.
This is the general appeal of those who spoke with our correspondent in Lokoja, on Thursday on the issue.
Mr Solomon Ozigi, federal government retiree, described the would-be effect proposed strike as catastrophic to the already harsh economic reality in Nigeria.
“From media report, NLC has advised Nigerians to stockpile their houses with food stuff, warning that the strike would be indefinite. The question on the leaps on most Nigerians, especially the poor masses, is where is the money to stockpile food stuffs?
“Besides the dry pocket that has become the lot of most Nigerians, as they reel with pain in the wheel of the economic quagmire, the prices of food stuffs have continued to hit beyond the roof to the sky”, he lamented.
Ozigi called on the federal government to speed up the implementation of the palliative policy and programmes to ease the economic pains of Nigerian masses arising from the removal of fuel subsidy.
Messrs Isah Mohammed, Ocholi Yakubu, Miss Janet Adebayo, Karim Ismaila and Daudu Adavuruku among others, in their respective interview with The Reporters,also begged the federal government to stop the planned strike by engaging them in dialogue and effectively implementing palliatives.
One of the ways to stop the strike, they further advised, is for the state and federal governments to re-examining their social and economic policies and programmes to ensure they impact the desired value on Nigerians.
They also advised the state governments not to politicise the distribution of palliatives, adding that hunger does not know the political leaning of a hungry and angry Nigerians.
According to them, the nation cannot afford such strike, in view of its social and economic challenges biting harder on the people.
A market check by our correspondent at the old and new market in Lokoja on Friday, showed that the price of virtually all food stuffs have almost gone the purchasing capacity of most buyers.
A measure of garri, hitherto known as poor man’s food sold at N500 and below has skyrocketed to N1,800 or more, depending on the quality.
The same trend is noticed with a measure of semovita which has increased from N500 to N1,900, beans, N1,300 instead of N300, maize, N600 instead of N200, a pack of Maggi, N1,050 instead N300, Wheat, N1,000 for one kg instead of N400.
Commuters are also not smiling as transport fare has gone beyond tolerable level with over 100 percent increase in all routes in lokoja and its environs.
Similar development prevails in intra transport fare as a journey from Lokoja to Okene, hittherto at N1,000 or N1,200, is now N3,000, Lokoja to Kabba, N2,500 and Idah, N3,000 among others , contrary to N1,000 before the removal of fuel subsidy on May 29,2023.
A big loaf of bread has gone as high as N1,300 rather the previous of N500 or N700,depending on the quality of bread and egg now N100.00 or N120.00 instead of N50.00 anong other hike in prices of consumable and non-consumable items in Lokoja.
Commercial drivers, who spoke with our correspondent, traced the astronomical increase in transport fare to increase in the price of fuel putting a litre at N617 as at the time of this report, coupled with high cost of motor spare parts.
Guardian quoted the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, and his TUC counterpart, Festus Osifo, during a joint press conference in Abuja, as saying that the National Executive Councils (NEC) of both congresses’ in their various meetings.analysed the current situation in the country.
According to them, the two union also took into cognisance the extensive hardships and deprivation afflicting citizens across all states of the federation before resolving to go on strike.
Ajaero and Osifo added that the two congresses unanimously were not satisfied with the way government is handling the consequences of petrol price hike on Nigerians.
They said after analysing their observations, the NLC and TUC NEC-in-session resolved that there, was need to take their destinies in their hands and rescue the nation, hence the proposed indefinite strike which would commence on October 3.
